THE HOPE OF ISRAEL - The Preterist Archive

CHAPTER IV
WHAT THE FATHERS OF ISRAEL WERE LOOKING FOR.
"Faith is
the substance of things hoped for"
(Heb. 11:1)
We turn back now to the Old Testament Scriptures
for the purpose of ascertaining what is foretold therein
concerning the future of the Israelitish people, and
particularly what, if any, indications they contain as
to the restoration of their national greatness in a yet
future day.
And first we direct our attention to the patriarchal
era, in order to learn what it was that the fathers of
Israel were taught of the Lord to anticipate for themselves
and their posterity. This is the proper place to
begin our inquiry; for we recall that when Paul was
arraigned before King Herod Agrippa by his infuriated
fellow countrymen, because he preached a hope
for Israel radically different from that held and taught
by them and their rabbis, he declared that he was
"judged for the hope of the promise made of God to
our fathers." And he went on to say that God's promise
to the fathers was the true hope of all Israel
"our twelve tribes" (Ac. 26 :6, 7)
.
It is written that "faith is the substance of things
hoped for." If, therefore, we know what a man is
hoping for, we know what he believes. "The faith
of Jesus Christ" is that on which is founded "the hope
of the gospel" (Col. 1:23) ; and there is just the "one
hope" for all men (Eph. 4 :4) ; because there is but one
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